Election fever is heating up in Singapore.

Former People’s Action Party (PAP) MP Tan Cheng Bock announced on Friday, Jan. 18, his intention to return to politics and start a new party called the Progress Singapore Party (PSP).

If approved, PSP will be the 12th political party in Singapore.

The prospective party comprises 11 other "like-minded Singaporeans".

Tan declined to name them, but said in his post that some members were former cadres of the ruling PAP.

More details will be revealed at a media conference later on, a spokesperson for Tan said when queried by the media.

Two months registration

The Registry of Societies received Tan's application for a new party on Jan. 16.

The average processing time for a registration application is about two months.

The next General Election (GE) is due by early 2021, which means it must occur within the next two years.

Leading opposition coalition

There are talks of Tan leading a possible political opposition coalition.

This occurred mere hours, if not minutes, after Tan's Facebook announcement of returning to the political fray.

Messages of hope and goodwill were extended to the veteran former PAP MP from opposition quarters, which met Tan in July 2018.

After that meeting, there was no firm "Yes" or "No", but quite a bit of "Wait and see".

In response to this news that Tan is forming the PSP party, various opposition politicians have responded.

Chee Soon Juan

Chee Soon Juan, secretary-general of the Singapore Democratic Party, congratulated Tan “for coming forward to participate in electoral politics again — this time with the opposition”.

Chee said he looked forward to the formation of Tan’s party and working with him to strengthen the opposition.

Tan Jee Say

Tan Jee Say, secretary-general of the Singaporeans First Party, said that while his party is hoping to work with Tan Cheng Bock, “we will talk about it after the approval of his party”.

Desmond Lim

Desmond Lim, chairman of the Singapore Democratic Alliance is open to an alliance with Tan.

Goh Meng Seng

People’s Power Party chief Goh Meng Seng said he would wait for Tan to make a move after forming the party, if he is interested in a coalition.

Kenneth Jeyaretnam

The Reform Party, led by Kenneth Jeyaretnam, thanked Tan for joining the opposition cause: "We have long held the view that we could achieve a Malaysian-style breakthrough with the right figure to unite the disparate Opposition groups."

Today reported that the Workers' Party, the only opposition party with elected MPs in Parliament, declined comment.

Tan's track record

Tan, 78, was a PAP MP for 26 years.

He was the MP of Ayer Rajah Single-Member Constituency (SMC) between 1980 and 2006.

A six-term MP, he retired from politics in 2006.

He had run on the PAP ticket since he entered politics in 1980.

The constituency was absorbed into the West Coast Group Representation Constituency (GRC) thereafter.

Foo Mee Har is the current PAP MP in the Ayer Rajah ward that is now part of West Coast GRC.

Tan had regularly been among the PAP's top vote-getters.

As a backbencher, he had the rare distinction of being elected into the PAP's top decision-making body, the Central Executive Committee.

In 2011, he contested the four-way presidential election. He eventually lost to PAP-backed Tony Tan Keng Yam by just 7,382 votes.

Tan retired as a doctor at the end of 2018 after practising for 50 years.